1. Survey the Text: Look at your copy of 1984 and answer the following questions in your 1984 notebook
    • Describe what, if anything is on the cover?
    • What does the cover art mean?
    • Are there any comments from reviewers or critics on the back or the front, if so briefly summarize what they say?
    • Are there any other pictures on the back or inside the text and what do they show the reader?
    • Is there a biography of the author or other explanatory materials? Describe them.
    • Is there a Foreword or an Afterword? Who wrote them? Do you think you should read them? If so, when?
    • How is the book divided? Are there chapter titles? Sections?
    • What is the effect of having no table of contents and no section or chapter titles? Why do you think Orwell chooses to exclude them and how do you think it will affect you, the reader?
    • Share your responses with your partner.

2. Partners- Read-Write-Pair-Share:


  • Read the first two pages of the first chapter.
  • What predictions can you make about the novel from these details? Write your predictions and the reason for them in your 1984 notebook.
  • Share with your partner, be prepared to share with class.
3. Groups- More Predictions on Socrative:
  • Partners, join another pair to form a group of four and flip through the rest of the book. Discuss the following:
    • Discuss the slogans “WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, AND IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH”.
      • Can political rhetoric or advertising persuade people to do or believe something they wouldn’t ordinarily do or believe?
      • If they are manipulated by rhetoric to do something voluntarily, is this free choice?
      • Describe the world of the book based on the first two paragraphs and your group discussion of the slogans.
    • One group member will post group responses on our RM712 Socrative App.
    • Have a spokesperson prepared to explain your group's claims.